St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-07-21
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent.
ID. G. May 9th, 1887.


WASHINGTON, d. C. May 9th, 1887.
The event of the past week was thu
visit to Washington of the Queen o.
the Sandwich Islands and her suits
All sorts of obsequious attentions were
paid to her majesty at the Capital O
this great Republic, for although ka
piolani has the complexion of "a mulattt
and the Egyptian cast of feature, she il
d royal parsonage, and there is only one
way to treat visiting royalty, in this
country as well as in any other
The Queen first called at the White
House, and her visit was returned by
Mrs. Cleveland and the ladies of the
Cabinet in less than two hours, accord.
ing to the royal etiquette. Then fol.
lowed good lead of sight seeing a.
round the city under the pilotage OF q
committee OF reception, dinner at the
Hawaiian Legation, review and pa
rade Of troops in her honor, IL recep-
ton Of masons at her hotel (king kaIa-
kaua, the Queens husband, is q mem
Der of the fraternity visit to the cir
Gus, another to the races, trip to the
tomb of Washington on the L. 5. Dis
patch escorted by an imposing com
pany of foreign Diplomats and repre-
.entatives OF our own Government, and
a banquet at the White House.
The conjunction of royalty and
democracy was especially interesting as
presented at the State dinner. The
President of nearly sixty millions of
freemen led out the queen consort,
kapiolani, of little more than sixty
thousand people, and sat at one end of
his official board with the dusky hued
Queen on his right and the dnsky prin-
cess accompanying her on his left
For once, at least, since the beginning
of his Administration, Mr.. Cleveland
found himself thanked by two women
who could not talk back to him.
Neither of them had sufficient com
mand of English for general CONVERSE
ton. At the other end of the table sat
MIS-. cICfClIIO anu UllAlSbCI SdlbtI,
who represents the little kingdom in
the Pacific ocean to this Government.
Mrs. Cleveland laughed gayly as she
talked to her escort and was evidently
enjoying the Presidents situation while
she was concealed from his view by
large floral decoration in the centre of
the table.
The banquet was most elaborate
affair and in perfection of every detail
was thought to excel any entertain
ment given at the Executive Mansion
during Mr.. Cleveland's occupancy.
The State apartments were profusely
decorated with flowers, among which |
the Hawaiian colors were prominent, |
and the East Room surpassed the occa-
sion OF the Presidents wedding, not in
plumber, perhaps. but in the selection
Of the flowers used.
When visiting the Treasury Depart
ment Kapiolani was taken down into |
the subterranean vaults where the
money is kept, and seemed to take
1eep interest in the loads of gold and
silver stored away there. When told
low much money she stood in the midst
If, she was filed with wonder. She
eft the Capital delighted with her visit.
md thinking that this is a great peo-
Die, and that they have big Navy,
md immense dinners, and big taffy
mines and handsome Presidents wives.
But let it be said of Hawaiias Queen
hat Notwithstanding the fact that hers
5 only a little kingdom and that her
kin is colored brown, royalty of the
ighest degree could not have deported
tself with more becoming lady-like
race than she exhibited during her
isit to Washington. She showed her.
elf to be woman of gond sense and .
God manners. She was unobstrusiye.
lodest, self-poised, dignifed and even
'ately. Not speaking English she was s
disadva ntage, but she was intelli-
snt looking, and apparently .euick- !
Tilted.
Probably the silliest of all the silly $
cries that have been told of Secretary !
amar was that one to the effect that r
, would not attend the State dinner |
ven to the Queen of the Sandwich is a
nds ON account of her color 1t seems /,
liculous to take time to contradict so 9
eposterOus a report, were it not for 9
g fact that some neDnfa miol1t ha 4
st silly enough to believe it. The =
cretary was confined to his house by IL
kness at the time, and his non-ap- e.
arance at the White House on the u ~
owe mentioned occasion was attribRt- II
lie to that cause alone. d
-~sp-.-.- II,
rhe press of the State stands for Gov d.
loa about as follows: For Nichols OF
for McEnery ID; for Moneure 8 men, b;